


How I Met Your Mother (AU)

by heytheregisela



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: How I Met Your Mother AU, Juggey - Freeform, Multi, RageHappy, Raywood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 19:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2872373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heytheregisela/pseuds/heytheregisela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan decides it’s time that his kids know the story of how he met their mother, but there are plenty of other events that took place first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How I Met Your Mother (AU)

**Author's Note:**

> I pretty much wrote this based off the first episode of HIMYM. Oh my god, I just... I talked about making this AU and then I felt like I NEEDED to write something about it haha. So hey! Here it is! I don't know if I'll ever make it into a full length fic, but if I do, I'll have this as a starter for it. :)

“Kids, have I ever told you the story of how I met your mother?” A shake of heads in response. “Well, I am now.”

 

* * *

 

There had been plenty of memorable things that happened to Ryan when he was fresh out of college and living with his two best friends, Michael and Lindsay, who happened to be together since the start of college. One moment he definitely could never forget even if he tried, was the day he met one of the most interesting people in his life – Gavin Free. It also happened to be the day Michael dropped exciting news on him, but that part comes after Gavin.

Ryan had walked down the stairs into the entrance of the Achievement Hunt bar, checking his phone quickly to make sure he wasn't too early or late, but Michael told him he would be meeting him there right at noon for lunch to tell him something _really_ important. Apparently Michael didn't have enough time to tell him in the morning before work, so Ryan would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a _little_ bit curious as to what it was.

He sauntered over towards the bartender, figuring a nice drink to go with his food wouldn't hurt, especially after the long morning he had to suffer through. He stood there by the bar, occasionally taking small sips of his drink until he noticed the stares of another man standing nearby. Ryan was doing fine with ignoring this stranger at first, but when he looked in the direction of the entrance, he was startled when a voice said next to him, “I'm gonna teach you how to live.” And that was followed by an arm around his shoulders.

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows and looked over to find that it was him. The man stared back at Ryan as if not understanding why Ryan wasn't responding to him.

“It's Gavin,” he said, like Ryan was supposed to know him now, but seeing that he didn't, _Gavin_ huffed and pointed in the direction of the restrooms. “We met last night in the loo.”

Ryan squinted his eyes as he thought it over, and then that face started to look more familiar to him, so he snapped his fingers and nodded. “Oh, right – British guy whose full of himself.”

“I think the proper term is 'British guy who knows what he's talking about', and because of that, I'm giving you your first lesson. Lesson one, a haircut is needed; it'll make you look better with your suit.”

Ryan looked himself up and down as he said, “I'm not even wearing a suit.”

“Ah, lesson two: get a suit,” Gavin told him, gesturing towards his own attire, “Suits are cool. I mean, just look at me.” He sounded so sure of himself that Ryan sighed in disbelief that this was really happening.

Ryan glanced back at the door again and raised his eyebrows, feeling relieve wash over him when Michael was the one walking in next. Michael smiled at him as he started to make his way over and Ryan could see Gavin perk up from the corner of his eye.

“Sorry if I'm a little late,” Michael said when he reached Ryan, but his attention was drawn towards Gavin at the sound of a small intake of air

“Wow,” Gavin breathed out, and then nudged Ryan before leaning up to his ear and asking, “Who is _he_?” Michael raised an eyebrow questioningly at him, but he wasn't sure what to think or say about that.

“Taken,” Ryan responded, and Gavin frowned. Ryan shook his head and looked back at Michael. “What was it that you needed to tell me?”

Michael grinned as he said, “I think I'm going to ask Lindsay to marry me.”

“Well, he's fun,” Gavin sarcastically mumbled, turning towards the bartender and ignoring the glare Ryan shot at him.

“Okay, who's this asshole?” Michael asked Ryan, instantly getting Gavin's attention back.

“Gavin,” Gavin answered, reaching his hand over for Michael to shake. Michael scoffed and shook his head, but reluctantly, he did shake it.

“Hey, I'm Michael...” They may have started off on a rather awkward note, but those two honestly became great friends before the end of that week.

And also, Michael had brought up the idea of proposing to Lindsay that day, but it honestly was not until two months later that he actually _did_ something about it. He claimed it was that he was waiting for a certain paycheck so that he could have enough to buy a decent ring, but Ryan knew it was really just nerves. Or perhaps it was money, too... nerves and money – bad combination.

Either way, it took Michael two months to be prepared to pop the question to Lindsay. Today was the real day now. It was really going to happen, and knowing that he didn't want to be around the apartment when it was occurring, Ryan decided it was best to call up Gavin and see what he was up to.

“Ryan!” Gavin answered cheerfully as he walked out of his bathroom, but not before stopping momentarily to glance at himself in the mirror. “Just the guy I needed to talk to, because I just discovered something I'm _really_ into.”

Ryan shook his head but stopped Gavin before that explanation could even come, “Hey, Gav, you wanna do something tonight?”

Gavin turned off his bathroom's light and smiled. “Okay! I expect you to be at the bar in fifteen minutes, and _don't_ be late. We're going to have a _long_ night, Ryan Haywood.” With that, Gavin flipped shut his phone and hurried out.

Ryan was there before his fifteen minutes were up and he was actually surprised to find Gavin already sitting with a drink in hand. When Gavin looked over and saw him, he groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Ryan! You aren't wearing a suit!” He whined. “I told you we were going to have a _long_ night. What part did you miss? Why do you never listen to me?”

“Apparently I missed the dress code memo, and I _do_ listen to you... sometimes,” Ryan defended himself. “Remember last week when you did end up convincing me to wear a suit and I ended up alone with nothing but my suit jacket on?”

Gavin scoffed. “If you could even call that a suit, but it was more of a sorry excuse for one.” He took a sip of his drink and sighed.

“Well, _my_ apologies for not owning a different suit for each day of the year,” Ryan told him. “But I guess I was just too distracted with the fact that my best friend is actually getting engaged tonight.” Gavin's eyebrows twitched together that Ryan thought over what he just said, but he was sure he made sense.

“I'm not getting engaged tonight,” Gavin then said. Ryan's expression softened and Gavin gasped. “Ryan, tell me you were talking about me. _I'm_ your best friend.”

“ _Okay,_ my _other_ best friend is getting engaged tonight,” Ryan clarified, fighting the urge to laugh.

Gavin's eyes brightened and Ryan smiled at him as he nodded.

“It's too late for Michael to learn my third lesson, but it's not too late for you,” Gavin said as he patted Ryan on the shoulder, “Lesson number three: Don't get married until you're _at least_ thirty. You're either ready then or you _just_ aren't, whatever works for you!” He grinned.

“I know I'm not ready yet, but I don't know, I guess it would be a little nice to have someone that will _help_ me get ready. Everyone's all paired with someone and look at us; we're just two guys at a bar who will probably-” Ryan stopped talking when he noticed Gavin leaning over in his seat as he flirted it up with a redheaded girl wearing glasses.

“Or, I guess, look at _me;_ I'm just a guy at a bar who has nobody.” Ryan couldn't admit to Gavin that he couldn't just sit back and enjoy the single life as much as Gavin apparently did, because he _wasn't_ Gavin. He didn't have that, somehow appealing, charm Gavin possessed around anybody he talked to. Even after he had gotten on Michael's bad side (and that wasn't something people wanted to do), he still managed to win him over within a short time, same with Lindsay. It was ridiculous. How did he even do it? Ryan couldn't figure it out.

Maybe, as much as Ryan hated to admit it, maybe he just wanted it to be his turn, just like it was for Michael and Lindsay.

“What if when I am ready to find the love of my life, what then, you know?” He asked Gavin even though Gavin wasn't listening, “Hello world, I'm _ready._ So, what now? Where are they?” And as he turned away from Gavin, he felt himself freeze when his eyes landed on his answer.

There, across the bar, laughing and talking to some other guy, stood a lanky young man with dark hair, glasses, and dark stubble. Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued to stare, even though he knew he was probably freaking this stranger out, but when that stranger locked eyes with him for a second, Ryan could have sworn he saw him smile.

“Gavin... Gavin...” Ryan found himself speaking as he blindly searched for Gavin behind him with his hand.

Gavin raised an eyebrow and looked away from the girl he had been talking to. “What, Ryan?” He questioned, swatting Ryan's hand away.

“Do you see that guy?” Ryan asked.

Gavin followed Ryan's gaze until he saw who he was talking about. “Oh, _yeah._ You just know he likes it dirty.” Ryan was close to lightly punching Gavin on the arm for that comment, but he resisted when Gavin added in, “You should go say 'hi'.”

Ryan spun around to face him. “I can't just _go_ say 'hi' to someone like him. He might think I'm a loser, or desperate. No, when it comes to guys like that, you have to wait for the right moment-” he kept on with that explanation, but Gavin stopped listening as he watched the stranger make his way towards the bar. Gavin smirked as he got up from his seat and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

“-And then I'll be _casually_ standing there, so when-” Ryan was cut off by Gavin tapping his shoulder as well. He turned around and gaped a little to see the attractive stranger standing there.

Gavin looked back at the stranger and asked, “Hi, have you met Ryan?” And then he just walked away.

The stranger smiled at Ryan and Ryan mentally cursed Gavin, although he returned the smile.

“Hi,” he greeted with a wave.

“Oh, hey. Do you know who this Ryan guy is, by any chance?”

Ryan breathed out a laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. “That _might_ be me,” he said sheepishly.

“Oh, really?I wouldn't have guessed.”

Ryan couldn't even stop the grin from forming on his face. Wow, cute stranger was funny, in a bland sort of way.

“So, uh... I know this is sudden and everything, but would you want to have dinner with me this Saturday?” Ryan asked slowly, unsure of how this stranger was going to take being asked out by someone he didn't know anything about.

The stranger shook his head and said, “I can't, because I'm busy doing nothing.” Ryan nodded, understanding, but then he blinked when he realized what the guy had actually said. He must have noticed the realization that dawned on Ryan's face because he started laughing.

“I'm kidding, man,” he then said, and Ryan smiled again. “But I'm serious that I can't, since I _will_ be busy with covering this story in Texas – something about an internet company that's getting big or some shit. They're all about video games apparently, so I'm looking forward to it.”

“Oh, you're a journalist?”

The stranger nodded, “Well, not a great one, but I'm getting there. I mostly write stories on the topic of _anything_ that has to do with video games, which is why this company kind of intrigues me.”

“Oh, that's really cool.”

The sound of someone loudly clearing their throats made them both look over to a table where the guy the stranger was speaking to earlier was sitting with two other people.

“Wow, they seem angry,” Ryan commented.

“Because my friend in the middle was dumped and now they hate everyone,” the stranger explained, “Including you.”

Ryan frowned a little, but he smiled when he looked at him again. “If it helps, you can throw that drink at me so you can go on pretending you hate everyone, too.”

“I'm fine with that; I wasn't going to drink this crap anyway.”

Ryan's smile increased and he threw his hands up. “Okay, so, you'll be busy this weekend, but how does tomorrow night sound?”

The stranger pursed his lips and for a moment, Ryan regretted asking anything, but then the guy nodded.

“Yeah, sure, why not,” he said with a shrug. “Meet me here tomorrow, same time.” He took a step away, but then stopped and grabbed the drink off the counter. “I'm Ray, by the way,” and then Ryan braced himself as he felt the liquid hit his face. Ray laughed and shook his head before heading back over to his friends.

“Oooh,” Ryan heard Gavin behind him, so he turned around to face him, “Re-wait for it.... jected!” Gavin sounded so amused with himself that Ryan wanted to laugh.

“Yeah, that's why we're going out tomorrow night,” he told Gavin.

Gavin's smile faltered as he crossed his arms. “I thought _we_ were going out tomorrow night!”

“Yeah, I change my mind.”

* * *

 

Ryan wasn't quite sure what he expected in this date with someone he had only met, but he knew he wanted to make a good impression. When he arrived home that night, he found Michael and Lindsay on the couch, smiling at each other as Lindsay held an ice pack to her eye.

“I would ask what happened, but I'm kind of worried of the answer,” Ryan told them.

Lindsay jumped up from her seat and held out her left hand. “Long story short, I'm engaged! Although, I know _you_ already knew.” She grinned at him.

“But hey, it's nice to know Michael didn't chicken out,” Ryan said as he walked up to her to admire the ring.

Michael huffed and placed his hands on his hips. “Why would I chicken out, Ryan? I had everything planned out perfectly.”

“No, you didn't,” Ryan gestured towards the small bruise underneath Lindsay's eye.

“Okay, there were _some_ complications, but-”

“But we're alive,” Lindsay finished for him, giving a knowing look that made him smirk.

Ryan held out his arms as he said, “Even though I knew, I want to say congratulations.” Lindsay happily accepted his hug, giving him a gentle squeeze before stepping back and sitting down on the couch again.

“How was your night?” Michael asked.

Ryan took a deep breath and shrugged. “I, uh... I got a date for tomorrow night.”

Lindsay's eyes widened excitedly, but her bruised one was having some difficulties, as she looked up at him, and then at Michael, “Aw, our little Ryan is growing up!”

“I'm older than both of you, but yes, and I'm really looking forward to it,” Ryan said.

Michael reached over and patted Ryan on the shoulder. “Are you going over to their place to pick them up or?”

“No, we're meeting up at the bar.”

“Ah, so if Lindsay and I just, I don't know, _happen_ to be there-”

“You better stay home.”

“Ryan, relax. Even if Michael and I are there when you are, it doesn't mean we'll embarrass you or anything,” Lindsay assured him. “I mean, you _know_ me. You know to trust me with this.”

“Okay, yeah, but can I trust you two enough to make sure Gavin is occupied during the time my date takes place?”

Michael furrowed his eyebrows. “Why do we have to do that?”

“Considering Gavin has this thing of always keeping me under his wing, I feel like he's just gonna try and pop in every now and so to give me more of his _lessons_.”

“Oh, are these lessons _naughty_?” Lindsay asked, wagging her eyebrows for added effect. Ryan sighed.

“You know, so far they aren't, but they might this time and I wouldn't want to hear any of those during my date,” he told her. Michael walked over to stand next to him, smiling slightly.

“Since we love you so much, Ryan, we'll make sure Gavin is kept under control.”

“Thanks, and again, congrats you guys. I hope this doesn't mean I'm going to need to move out soon.”

“Are you kidding me? Ryan, we're engaged, but if we're all being honest, we were practically engaged before so _nothing_ is going to be different,” Lindsay said, but as she saw Ryan heading for the kitchen, she gasped. “No, wait, don't go in there!”

Ryan halted in his tracks and looked at the both of them. “Why not?”

Michael scratched the back of his neck and smiled innocently, “It has to do with why Lindsay has that black eye.”

“Fair enough; I'm just going to get ready for bed then,” Ryan turned around and walked towards the bathroom.

Lindsay faced Michael again and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That disaster we made, from mainly your fault,” Michael sighed and she went on, “in the kitchen is just the start of our adventures as an engaged couple.”

“That _kind_ _of_ worries me of what other trouble we're going to get into.”

“Oh, Michael Jones, prepare for a lot, but that's okay, because I love you.”

Michael smiled softly. “I love you, too, Linds.”

Ryan completely and quietly shut the bathroom door now after listening in on those two. He wasn't expecting the attractive stranger from the bar to be the one, because that just wasn't something he could predict, but if he could ever manage to have something as close to what Michael and Lindsay have with anyone, he knew to consider himself lucky. Maybe it would be with the attractive stranger, or maybe not, but nothing hurt to try, and Ryan was admittedly very excited about this date.

Oh, and Ryan actually ended up finding out the story behind Lindsay's black eye and it made him note to himself that he would _never_ ask her or Michael to uncork a Champagne bottle.

* * *

 

At the Achievement Hunt bar the next night, Gavin strolled in as usual, smirking when he spotted someone attractive, but before he could even think about making the moves on them, his arms were grabbed. Gavin looked at the hands holding him and then up at the people.

“Michael! Lindsay!” He greeted cheerfully, but his smile was wiped off when they started dragging him towards their regular booth. “I can see you two are eager to see me.”

“Sure,” Michael nodded, getting Gavin to sit down on one side while he sat on the other with Lindsay.

“Well, I'm eager to see you two as well – congratulations on the engagement. You two are the only ones I wouldn't call out for getting engaged at such a young age,” he told them.

“And I appreciate that so much, Gavin,” Lindsay said, a bit blandly.

Gavin squinted his eyes at her. “Why did you two drag me over here?”

“What? You mean it can't just be because we want to hang out with you?” Michael asked.

“Of course it can. I would want to hang out with me, too, if I could, but there's something suspicious going on here. I can feel it.”

“Yeah, alright, Gavin. Stop thinking you know everything.”

“Okay, moving on,” Gavin sat up more in his seat, “When is the wedding exactly?”

Lindsay snorted. “Not anytime soon. We want to take our time with planning it out and making sure we can have everything paid off.” Michael nodded.

“Besides, right now Lindsay and I are busy with our new jobs,” he added.

“Well, I think that's a _great_ idea and I'm happy for you guys,” Gavin said.

“We knew you would be,” cooed Lindsay.

“And I'll be right back,” Michael started to stand up. “I gotta pee.” Lindsay waved him off as he walked away.

She looked to her right to find Ryan walking in, but he stopped when someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind. It appeared to be a rather short guy wearing glasses, and yes, he looked adorable and definitely Ryan's type. Ryan turned around to grin at him – that _had_ to be his date. Lindsay could hardly contain herself from the sight.

“It's Ryan and his date,” Gavin confirmed and Lindsay blinked as she looked at him. “Oh, I have to go and tell him something so he doesn't bloody make a fool of himself.” He stood up, but Lindsay reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“No, wait, Gavin! I think who needs the advice right now is me!”

Gavin looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. “What kind of advice would you possibly need? You're Lindsay! Now let me go so I can help Ryan.”

“Oh, you'd be surprised, Gavin. What I need right now is... uh, sex tips. So, hurry, give them to me before Michael comes back,” Lindsay could hardly believe what she was even saying, and it seemed Gavin was the same way, because he gaped at her as he slowly sat back down.

“ _Lindsay..._ I never thought this day would come.”

Lindsay shrugged and let out a small laugh. “Can you just tell me? Michael pees fast.” From her peripheral vision, she noticed Ryan exiting the bar with his date and she sighed in relief, but it was too bad Gavin was already rambling on with his “advice”.

* * *

 

Ryan took Ray to a little Bistro in Brooklyn, one that had always been recommended to him and now was his opportunity to try it out. It served a nice setting for anyone looking for a quiet evening out with someone special and Ryan did consider this guy to be special. They got a table in the middle and as Ryan got comfortable, Ray pointed at something on the wall.

“That is one badass blue French horn,” he said.

Ryan looked over at it and smiled. “Oh, yeah. It kind of looks like a smurf penis,” and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. What kind of ordinary person would want to hear that on a first date? _His_ date, because his hate wasn't some ordinary guy, so much to Ryan's relief, cute guy almost choked on his water as he laughed at the comment. Ryan began laughing as well, picking up a napkin for him to wipe his mouth with, but they ended up laughing so hard that their eyes were teary and their stomachs were hurting.

It was why Ryan went home that night, more blissful than he had ever been, and happily falling onto the sofa while Michael and Lindsay looked at him curiously.

“Mom, Dad, I think I may have found the man of my dreams,” he finally spoke.

The corners of Lindsay's lips rose as Michael applauded Ryan.

“Michael, how have I always described my perfect lover?” Ryan asked him.

Michael rubbed his chin as he tried thinking back. “Uh, let's see... he likes video games more than anything?”

That much had been a given the second Ray had mentioned his journalism career centered around video games, but it was further proven when he told Ryan at dinner, “I own five consoles and probably twenty games for each one, well, at least twenty games that I actually play, because they never get old.” So Ryan nodded as an answer to Michael's question.

“Uh, and he doesn't drink?” Michael kept going.

Ryan nodded. “He said he _hates_ it.”

“Laughs at any little joke you make?”

That comment about the Smurf penis wasn't the only thing Ray managed to almost die from laughing at, so yes, he found Ryan hilarious and Ryan found that he really liked the sound of Rat's laugh.

“Yes!”

“Holy shit! Ry's found _the_ guy!” Michael cheered, sitting up along with Lindsay.

“But wait, it's only about ten. What happened after dinner?” Lindsay asked.

Ryan let out a long sigh as he began to explain. He was walking him home from the subway as they indulged in conversation about how Ray needed to find a blue French horn to put on top of his fireplace, because he absolutely loved the one from the Bistro. Ryan opened his mouth to say something when a news van pulled up next to them and woman popped her head out.

“There you are,” she said to Ray, “We've been looking all over for you! Get in. There's some big commotion going on at the bridge and you're gonna cover the story!”

“It's not really my style of stories, though,” he told her.

“What's the harm in it?”

“Fine, yeah,” Ray turned to Ryan and sighed. “Sorry, man. I guess I have to go, but uh, I had an awesome time tonight and I can't wait to see you again, _if_ there can be another time.”

Ryan smiled at him and nodded. “There definitely will be.”

“And that's it?” Michael asked. “I mean, no kiss goodnight? He seemed like he was _really_ into you.”

“He's different and I wanted to take things slow.”

“And I think that's wonderful, Ryan,” Lindsay told him, smiling at him sweetly, “You totally chickened out, though.”

“Oh, fuck yeah he did,” Michael laughed, raising his hand to give Lindsay a high five.

“ _What?_ I did not!” Ryan defended himself.

“From the way you talked about how your date went, it really seems like a kiss would have been the great way to end it,” Lindsay said. “Even if it was just one on the cheek. He probably thinks you weren't that into him now.”

“Yeah, Ryan, good job,” Michael joked.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Well, you guys are wrong and I'm not going to sit here and be criticized by losers who haven't been single since their first week of college. You guys don't remember how it works anymore.”

“Do you want a third opinion?” Lindsay challenged, narrowing her eyes at Ryan, but she was still smiling.

Ryan already knew what she meant, so he took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Gavin's number without a second thought, because _yes,_ he did want a third opinion on this nonsense. After Gavin was done telling Ryan how upset he was that he had canceled their plans together, he told Ryan, as always, to meet him at the bar in fifteen minutes and to seriously suit up this time. But when the four of them found themselves sitting at the booth, Gavin was disgusted to find Ryan _not_ wearing a suit.

“So, I called you here because these idiots,” Ryan pointed at Michael and Lindsay, “think I chickened out on not kissing my date goodnight. What do you think?” He asked Gavin.

“I can't believe you're still not _fucking_ wearing a suit!” Gavin whined.

Ryan ignored that and continued, “He didn't even give me the signal that he wanted to be kissed!”

“There's a signal?” Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow. “What was he supposed to do? Bat his eyelashes at you until you got the hint? _No!_ You just _kiss_ him!”

“Not if you don't get the signal!”

Gavin groaned and turned to Michael before grabbing his face and pressing their lips together. Michael's eyes went comically wide as he put his hands up, debating whether to push Gavin away or jump up from his seat. Gavin pulled off him before he could decide anyway.

“Did _Michael_ give me the signal there?” Gavin asked Ryan.

“N-no! I didn't!” Michael answered angrily, then he gasped and looked at Lindsay, “I fucking swear I didn't!” Lindsay merely smiled at him.

“But at least now I get to sleep tonight knowing Michael and I will never happen, but will _you,_ Ryan?” Gavin asked, though he shook his head and went on, “Nope! Because you didn't kiss your date.”

“So what you're saying is that I need to _kiss_ him in order to know if it'll happen or not?”

“Yes.”

And that was how Ryan found himself sitting in the passenger's seat of a taxi, holding a stolen blue French horn from the Bistro (it was quick and easy), with Michael, Lindsay, and Gavin sitting in the back. He was also wearing a suit! Because that was the only way Gavin would go and finally shut up about the suit thing.

“This may be the weirdest thing you've _ever_ done, Ryan, but I can't say I'm not proud of you,” Lindsay told him.

“Especially me, because look at you, Ryan, looking so handsome in a suit,” Gavin said as he patted Ryan's shoulder. “I told you suits make everything better!”

Ryan adjusted his tie and sighed as the taxi came to a stop in front of cutie's apartment complex.

“Alright, well, here goes,” he said as he opened the door and stepped out.

“Kiss him good, Ryan!” Michael cheered.

“At this point, he won't even need to kiss anyone! That suit says enough,” Gavin chimed in.

“Oh, shut the fuck up, Gavin.”

Ryan held back a laugh at that and started making his way towards the door. He couldn't deny the nerves that were running through him at that point, because meeting Gavin Free was one memory he would always remember, but so was this exact moment. He took a deep breath as he walked up the steps and buzzed his door. That's when it hit him. What the heck was he doing there at midnight?

“Oh, jeez,” he started to run back towards the taxi but was stopped by the yells of his friends.

“Where do you think you're going?” Michael asked. “Go get your man!”

“Come on, Ryan! If anyone can do this, it's you,” Lindsay encouraged.

“Don't run or else you'll sweat and being sweaty in a suit is bloody disgusting!” Gavin added, receiving an elbow to his stomach from Lindsay.

Ryan took a deep breath and nodded before turning back towards the door.

“Of all people I'd expect to be visiting me at midnight, I'm happy it's you instead of them,” a voice said from above, and Ryan looked up to see Ray smiling down.

Ryan was unsure of what to say, so he simply raised the French horn in the air and smiled crookedly.

“Come on in, man.”

Ryan glanced back at his friends for a second before doing as he was told. As soon as they saw Ryan walk in, Michael, Lindsay, and Gavin did a victory cheer to themselves.

Ray crossed his arms as he watched Ryan enter his place. “So, Ryan, what brings you back here...” he paused and looked Ryan up and down, “in a suit?”

Ryan grinned as he held up the French horn again. “You mentioned how you wanted one, so I decided to get it for you.” He handed it to him and watched the smile that lit up on his face as he took it.

“Oh, man, I love this. Thanks.”

Maybe it was the nerves taking over, but Ryan, no matter how much he tried, could _not_ bring himself to lean in and do what he went there to do. Ray seemed so invested in admiring the French horn that all Ryan wanted to do was stare, because he didn't remember the last time he saw such an adorable look on someone's face. And then he realized, a kiss wasn't even necessary. They had a nice time and were obviously on good terms with each other. A kiss wouldn't make much a difference, despite what his friends said. If something were to blossom between them, it would, but Ryan didn't want a kiss to prove it. He wanted it to happen the way it needed to.

“It's late, so I think I should head home now,” he said, “I just wanted to drop by and give that to you.”

Ray nodded, looking up to smile at Ryan. “Then thanks, Ryan. This is going to look perfect right over there,” he nodded towards his fireplace.

Ryan grinned. “Yeah, it will.” He turned around and allowed himself out, not wanting Ray to go through the trouble of walking all the way down. His friends were probably right, but then, they were probably completely wrong. Either way, he didn't want to contemplate it anymore, even when he got back into the taxi and had to endure their comments on it, because soon after, they changed the subject to Michael and Lindsay's engagement.

They headed back to the Achievement Hunt for drinks to do a real celebration for it and Ryan _did_ find himself drifting off to think about Ray a few times. He wasn't regretting not kissing him, but a part of him was beginning to worry he would never have that opportunity a third time, because what if he never saw Ray ever again? Ray had been the first guy Ryan genuinely liked since... well, he could barely recall the last time he met someone so interesting before.

But feeling done with those thoughts for the night, he shook his head and watched as Michael successfully uncorked the champagne bottle. Lindsay clapped her hands before planting a kiss on the side of his mouth. Ryan smiled at them as he held up his glass and made a toast for them. The four of them clinked their glasses together and went on to talk about every little thing they were looking forward to in the next few weeks.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, Dad, where _exactly_ is Mom in that story?” Ryan's daughter asked.

“Yeah, I mean, you told us how you met Uncle Gavin and Uncle Ray, but I think you left out the most important person – the one who was the purpose of you sitting us down today,” his son said.

Ryan sighed. “I was _just_ about to get to her. Jeez. Be patient.” They both crossed their arms and waited for him to proceed, and knowing he had their full attention again, Ryan cleared his throat. “Now, where was I...”

 


End file.
